Norse picked to repeat in SWJCFC

Jim Ellis • sports@delcojournal.com

Wednesday

Aug 1, 2018 at 2:00 AM

The target is on the back of Northeastern Oklahoma A&M.

The Golden Norsemen were tabbed as the preseason favorite by coaches in the Southwest Junior College Football Conference and media members who cover the league’s teams during the league’s Media Day Friday, July 27 at Garden Valley Golf Club & Resort here

“I was a little surprised the vote was that way,” Norse head coach Zach Allen said. “I just think it shows the respect that we earned over the course of the last half of last season.

“We knew we were going to have a target on our back.”

NEO was picked fifth in both polls prior to the 2017 season, but notched a 26-10 win over Trinity Valley (Texas) College in the SWJCFC post-season championship game in Athens, Texas.

The Norse were 1-2 heading into Week 4 of the ’17 campaign, then went on a run that saw them win their final five regular-season games.

They squeezed out a 38-34 win against Blinn (Texas) College to set up the rematch with Trinity Valley.

The Cardinals had rolled to a 27-14 win in the first meeting of the teams also in Athens on Sept. 9.